The present invention relates generally to displaying calendars on personal digital assistants and, more particularly, to a system and method for effectively controlling the presentation and manipulation of calendars on a personal digital assistant.
Personal digital assistants, or PDA""s, are commonly known hand-held computers that can be used to store, display, and/or manipulate various personal information including, but not limited to contact information, calendar information, etc. Such information can be downloaded from other computer systems, or can be inputted by way of a stylus and pressure sensitive screen of the PDA or any other type of input device such as a mechanical keyboard or a voice recognition module. Examples of PDA""s are the Palm(trademark) computer of 3Com Corporation, and Microsoft CE(trademark) computers which are each available from a variety of vendors.
Unlike PDA""s, conventional desktop computers, in the past, have allowed the storage and manipulation of multiple calendars thereon. This capability has been prompted by the fact that desktop computers are commonly utilized by multiple users. Further, desktop computers are traditionally equipped with the technical features that are necessary to enable such functionality.
For example, a desktop computer commonly runs software that is capable of allowing various users to share a total capacity of the computer. This may be done by allowing each user to log on and retrieve, add, modify, and delete information, i.e. calendars, that are unique to such user. In terms of technical features, desktops are equipped with an abundance of memory which may be allocated to the calendars of each of the different users. Also, screens of desktop computers are typically have larger than 12xe2x80x3 in size. This even allows multiple calendars to be displayed if desired.
Networking of computers has augmented the number of calendars that may be stored on one computer. For instance, a plurality of users may be networked to a single computer, or server, which stores calendars for the users. During operation, each of the users may utilize the server in order to access and manipulate his or her calendar. One example of this can be found on the Internet, wherein various client computers may be connected to the Internet and access one of a plurality of calendars on a single server via a web site.
The Internet has also allowed multiple users to access a single shared group calendar. Such system permits each user to view and edit various scheduled matters on the single calendar. As an option, an electronic message may be sent to each of the users of the group each time the shared group calendar is edited.
In sharp contrast, PDA""s currently do not allow the display, let alone the storage of multiple calendars. This is a result of both the limited intended purpose of PDA""s and also various technical limitations. For instance, PDA""s are traditionally employed for the storage and manipulation of personal data, hence the name personal digital assistant. As such, PDA""s conventionally allows the storage of only a single personal calendar.
Even if the storage of multiple calendars on a PDA were desired, many technical obstacles prevent such implementation. This is at least partly due to the portable nature of PDA""s which mandates that the various components of PDA""s, including the displays, are extremely compact. This feature tends to preclude a feasible method of displaying the multiple calendars in a way that such information may be effectively read and manipulated.
Up to now, the intended purpose and various technical limitations of PDA""s has restricted the use of only one calendar per PDA. This has limited PDA users to only organizing his or her own scheduled matters without regard to the scheduled matters of others. Inherent in this limited system is a potential for increased disorganization amongst various PDA owners who interact in normal everyday life.
There is thus a need a system and method for storing multiple calendars on a PDA and further allowing the display of such calendars to enable effective retrieval, addition, modification, and deletion of the calendars.
A portable, hand-held personal digital assistant (PDA) is provided for simultaneously depicting multiple calendars on a single display. The PDA includes a portable, hand-held housing including a top face, a bottom face, and a side wall therebetween for defining an interior space. An input device is situated on the top face of the housing for allowing input of data. Associated therewith is a display situated on the top face of the housing for depicting data. Situated in the interior space of the housing is memory for storing a plurality of calendars each including a plurality of scheduled matters. Finally, control circuitry is situated in the interior space of the housing and connected between the input device, the display, and the memory. The control circuitry serves for simultaneously depicting a plurality of the calendars on the display. The controller is further adapted for executing multiple methods to facilitate the simultaneous display of the calendars on the display of the PDA. By conveniently displaying the multiple calendars, the present invention allows a user to more effectively manipulate the same.
In order to allow the storage, display, and manipulation of the calendars, the calendars and scheduled matters may be stored in separate calendar databases. Further included is a common database including a plurality of identification data sets each corresponding to the calendar of one of the calendar databases. Such identification data sets each include attributes corresponding to the associated calendar database. Examples of such attributes may indicate that one of the calendars is selected, a primary calendar, read only, and/or a foreign calendar. In operation, the calendars of the calendar databases in accordance with the attributes that are stored in the common database.
Further, various methods may be employed to display the calendars to allow more effective manipulation. For example, in one embodiment of the present invention, at least one calendar is depicted along with a plurality of icons each corresponding to increments of time, i.e. hours, days, and weeks. Next, the present invention allows the selection of one of the icons after which the calendar is divided into increments of time corresponding to the selected icon. As an option, the selected icon is enlarged upon a plurality of calendars being displayed simultaneously.
In another embodiment, upon the selection of a designated icon, a window is depicted which identifies each of the calendars and allows the selection of the calendars by way of any graphical interface such as check boxes. Thereafter, the selected calendars are displayed. While the selected calendars are being displayed, any of the selected calendars may be replaced with another calendar using a pull-down window.
In yet another embodiment, each calendar that is displayed is divided into sections corresponding to increments of time. Further, the scheduled matters are depicted in the sections. In use, a size of the sections is altered as a function of a number of the calendars simultaneously depicted so as to allow a sufficient amount of space for depicting the scheduled matters.
In accordance with still yet another embodiment, a user is allowed to move the scheduled matters of one of the calendars to another one of the calendars. This may be accomplished by dragging the scheduled matter on the display between the calendars.
These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and studying the various figures of the drawings.